Suns at Celtics
The Boston Celtics have played 12 home games, the fewest in the Eastern Conference and the second-fewest in the NBA. They will finally get a chance to unpack their bags for an extended period of time when they open a four-game homestand and begin a stretch in which they play 15 of 22 at TD Garden by hosting the surging Phoenix Suns on Wednesday.
Boston saw its eight-game winning streak come to an end with a 113-104 loss at Detroit on Saturday, but it still enters the favorable stretch with plenty of momentum, in large part because it has already overcome a slow start. "I think [the 10-10 start] was very beneficial because if we would have started out good and won some games, some of these issues that were underlying, winning would take care of that, but they'd still be there," center Al Horford told reporters. "Now all those things have been addressed thoroughly. We're still going through it, but we're learning." The Suns are going through their own learning process at the bottom of the West but they're riding a three-game winning streak for the first time since March of 2017. Devin Booker tied the season-high he had against the Celtics on Nov. 8 with 38 points at Madison Square Garden on Monday as Phoenix topped the New York Knicks 128-110.
TV: 7:30 p.m. ET, NBATV, FS Arizona (Phoenix), NBCS Boston
ABOUT THE SUNS (7-24): Booker has shaken off the rust in impressive fashion after missing seven straight games with a hamstring strain, scoring 66 points on 53.8 percent shooting in two games since his return. "We're learning how to win," Booker told reporters. "It starts on the defensive end. Playing together. Playing the right way. Everybody is contributing. It looks really good." In addition to his 38-point effort against the Celtics earlier this season, the 22-year-old had 38 in his visit to Boston last season and a franchise-record 70 points at TD Garden the previous March.
ABOUT THE CELTICS (18-11): Boston scored at least 113 points in each of its eight straight wins and reached 124 six times during the run before being stymied at Detroit. Kyrie Irving scored 26 points and Marcus Smart added 21 but their teammates combined to shoot 37.9 percent from the floor and 2-of-20 from 3-point range. Horford has missed five straight games with a knee injury but could return for this one.
BUZZER BEATERS
1. Suns SF T.J. Warren is averaging 25 points over his last four games.
2. Celtics SG Jaylen Brown is 3-for-16 from the floor in the last two contests after missing one game due to an illness.
3. Boston has won four straight meetings.